I think we are a better team than Miami

[Joker]

Just not as talented and when they get it together, they will give us fits since their weaknesses are our weaknesses.

[BudBall]

I'm glad you said "I think".

[hawkman]

Miami is overrated. That is all

[lethalweapon3]

The Only Thing We Have To Fear Is... FEAR ITSELF. Well, that, and Orlando.

~lw3

[Joker]

LeBron being LeBron.

[hawkman]

I'm just not seeing the chemistry out there for Miami. Lebron, Wade, and Bosh are all used to getting the ball. They really didn't look comfortable out there together to be honest.

[BudBall]

They still working the kinks...they will probably will get better in time and also when Riley takes over in due time.

[hawkman]

I think if the Hawks master this motion offense and start hitting on all cylinders, there won't be much comp in the East for them. They're going to surprise some teams. They already have the chemistry and continuity. They just needed to run an actual offense that makes it easier for the players to score during the regular season AND the Playoffs. Orlando is the only team I think the Hawks need to be concerned about to be honest.

[WakaFlocka]

I'm sorry, but y'all delusional. I'd absolutely love to see the Hawks run the table with our new offense, but I don't think it's fair to say that we're a better team than Miami after they've played one meaningful game. I hate the Heat as much as the next guy (new "Big Three" or not), but once they're really used to playing together I don't think they'll have much trouble beating us. Yes, we have the chemistry, but I think people underestimate how long it's going to take the Hawks to truly get the new offense down. I don't see us winning 50+ game this year, but I'd love to be wrong.

[Diesel]

I think if the Hawks master this motion offense and start hitting on all cylinders, there won't be much comp in the East for them. They're going to surprise some teams. They already have the chemistry and continuity. They just needed to run an actual offense that makes it easier for the players to score during the regular season AND the Playoffs. Orlando is the only team I think the Hawks need to be concerned about to be honest.

The thing is there are good teams in the east that will give us fits. Orlando, Boston, and NJ to name a few.

[HalfHawk]

Team chemistry is what justifies a great team, without it, your lost.

[DrReality]

Defense won the game for Boston and we've got to do the same.

[HawkItus]

1 game = nothing. That game last night made me even more worried about the Heat. Boston probably played about the best they could. Miami played about the worst they could. It was a 3 point game at one point in the 4th quarter. :shock11:

[BudBall]

Yea Boston defense won the game, but if the same game was played in January Miami easily would've destroyed them imo.

[Wretch]

Miami's problem is going to be defense. All of those guys can score, but everybody in the NBA can score. A team like Orlando is going to rain jumpers over their heads and ram Superman down their throats. They aren't any better equipped to stop that than we are. What they have over us is not necessarily a superior offense though. They have superior offensive players. IF they can get those 3 guys in sync, they'll be a better team than we'd ever hope to be. As much as I hate Miami, there's no way I can sit here and call them overrated. LeBron and Wade being able to lift a team of nobodies to the playoffs by themselves, together they can be unstoppable. That says nothing in a versatile big man like Bosh that we'd kill to have alongside our guys.

That being said, I'm certain they won't win the title this year and probably not next. The NBA is full of very good teams that will test their defensive mettle - which again, Miami is not known for. On the other hand, a team like Boston will put the clamps on them just like they did. Los Angeles is an even tougher matchup for them - given that they have a high powered, intelligent offense and two of the premier wing defenders in the league (if not THE two premier defenders).

As far as how they compare to us... Our success is going to hinge upon Drew's offense and someone stepping up in a big way. We have GOT TO move the ball. It was so funny watching Drew's offense during the preseason, because I didn't find myself screaming at the screen so much. His offense forces the guys to move the ball - and when they didn't, bad things ALWAYS happened. If we play dumb. We'll barely creep into the playoffs, let alone compare to ANY of the marquee teams in the east. If we play well, we'll be at least as good as Boston & Orlando (both I put ahead of Miami in the playoffs).

BUT, if someone breaks out (Marvin/Teague)...and we get this offense down...and we play solid D...Nobody can stop us in the East.

Not a single team.

(Write it down, lol)

[gsuteke]

Boston has elite guard play - we don't have average guard play. They also have legit bigs to burn off the bench and excellent shooters. Oh and they play defense better than anybody.

[BudBall]

Like the optimism, but if we lose to memphis tonight in a big way....let the gloom and doom threads begin. :ph34r:

[jy23]

1 game = nothing. That game last night made me even more worried about the Heat. Boston probably played about the best they could. Miami played about the worst they could. It was a 3 point game at one point in the 4th quarter. :shock11:

What? Boston was turning the ball over like crazy, yes they had more turnovers than the heat....they were missing their starting center and a good guard off the bench and you're saying they played about the best they could.....sure. Boston is better than Miami and so is Orlando...Rondo is going to kill them everytime they play and they have no answer for the Celtics depth at big man. I think people are cleary overreacting to the Heat, they have 3 great players but they suck where it matters, point guard and center....they will be a very good team but they are 3rd best in the east right now...look beyond those 3 and you may have the worst team in the league....they do nothing on offense but watch those 3 operate one at a time, against good defense that wont fly.

Boston has elite guard play - we don't have average guard play. They also have legit bigs to burn off the bench and excellent shooters. Oh and they play defense better than anybody.

You are just talking about Rondo to Bibby right....cause if so yes they win that battle easily......but if you're talking about Allen to Joe then thats another story

[HawkItus]

What? Boston was turning the ball over like crazy, yes they had more turnovers than the heat....they were missing their starting center and a good guard off the bench and you're saying they played about the best they could.....sure. Boston is better than Miami and so is Orlando...Rondo is going to kill them everytime they play and they have no answer for the Celtics depth at big man. I think people are cleary overreacting to the Heat, they have 3 great players but they suck where it matters, point guard and center....they will be a very good team but they are 3rd best in the east right now...look beyond those 3 and you may have the worst team in the league....they do nothing on offense but watch those 3 operate one at a time, against good defense that wont fly.

You are just talking about Rondo to Bibby right....cause if so yes they win that battle easily......but if you're talking about Allen to Joe then thats another story

Nah, I mean no team is going to play perfect, but defensively they played about the best you'll see. Offensively, they were as lively as they can get. Those legs are old and they'll get older during the season. If they played like that in the finals last year they would of beat the Lakers. Everybody was spot on from the outside.

[Diesel]

As far as how they compare to us... Our success is going to hinge upon Drew's offense and someone stepping up in a big way. We have GOT TO move the ball. It was so funny watching Drew's offense during the preseason, because I didn't find myself screaming at the screen so much. His offense forces the guys to move the ball - and when they didn't, bad things ALWAYS happened. If we play dumb. We'll barely creep into the playoffs, let alone compare to ANY of the marquee teams in the east. If we play well, we'll be at least as good as Boston & Orlando (both I put ahead of Miami in the playoffs).

BUT, if someone breaks out (Marvin/Teague)...and we get this offense down...and we play solid D...Nobody can stop us in the East.

Not a single team.

(Write it down, lol)

Just to review, my thought on Miami is that they will be good but they will struggle against teams with Bigs (Boston/Orlando). They hope that we take out one of them and they can squeak by the other so that they can have a chance to go to the finals.

My take on us, we have a weakness. Bigs. The more evolved the big man's game, the more problems we will have. My hope is that we run Drew's offense to the point that our bad defense is not a concern.